1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to duct cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to a duct hose coupling device that provides quick and easy attachment and dismantling of predetermined hose structures to selected ductwork.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of standardized and/or prefabricated air duct cleaning components and apparatus are known in the art especially constructed for cleaning selected portions of heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning (HVAC) systems. While many forms of related coupling devices and components have been provided, the assembly and use of such devices and components have required considerable time and skill, particularly for those devices and components intended for or most suited to establishing a temporary structure having reliable structural integrity during assembly and usage. Generally, the aforesaid structures are inherently temporary or semi-permanent in nature following assembly and require undesirable use of miscellaneous hardware and materials, e.g. screws, nuts, bolts, duct tape, etc., and tools, e.g. screwdrivers, drills, pliers, etc. It is therefore desirable to provide a structural coupling device that will allow not only fast construction, but also quick disassembly of certain predetermined structures when so desired, without sacrificing structural integrity, and without requiring use of any additional hardware, materials, and/or tools that can become lost, come loose, etc.
Air duct cleaning apparatus and components known in the art that are used to couple flexible hose to selected portions of predetermined ductwork generally have required that one end of the flexible hose be inserted into the selected portion of the ductwork a predetermined distance. This procedure is known by those skilled in the art to disrupt the smooth flow of air flowing within the ductwork and the flexible hose, thereby allowing contaminants and unwanted debris to become trapped around the aforesaid inserted portions of the flexible hose. The contaminants and unwanted debris have the undesirable effect of reducing cleaning process efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,789, issued Dec. 24, 1996, to Bently, entitled Quick Connector For Joining Large Diameter Vacuum Hose To Ductwork, discloses a quick connector assembly for temporarily connecting large diameter vacuum hose to heating, ventilating and air conditioning ductwork for establishing a vacuum within ductwork to aid in cleaning unwanted debris and materials from the ductwork. The invention of Bently is limited to use with and is intended for use with flat surfaces, making the resulting structure substantially unsuitable for use with curved surfaces. Further, the assembly disclosed and claimed by Bently requires use of compression springs that can inadvertently collect and trap dust and unwanted debris within the pivoting assembly that may result in reduced spring efficiency and therefor a reduction in the ability of the assembly to accommodate a wide variety of ductwork sheet metal gauges with prolonged use.
Other U.S. patents disclose various types of clamping devices, locking devices, adapters and attachment devices that allow coupling of hoses and/or tubular structures to specific apparatus. These devices and adapters are generally cumbersome and time consuming to use, often very complex in design, or are otherwise unsuitable for uses other than that for which the device or adapter is specifically designed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,859, issued Jul. 4, 1989, to Coussau; U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,085, issued Mar. 12, 1985, to Sachleben; U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,754, issued Jan. 31, 1950, to Nance; U.S. Pat. No. 1,657,013, issued Jan. 24, 1928, to Kettle; and U.S. Pat. No. 998,352, issued Jul. 18, 1911, to Kublin disclose exemplary clamping devices, locking devices, attachment devices and adapters known to those skilled in the art.
In view of the above, it is highly desirable to provide a duct hose coupling device that will allow a desired ductwork cleaning structure to be reliably constructed and dismantled swiftly and easily when so desired. The coupling device should also be constructed such that debris and unwanted contaminants cannot interfere with the device reliability, efficiency and flexibility with prolonged usage.